Assessing Food Affordability in Italy: A Spatial-Temporal Analysis Using Web-Scraped Data

Abstract

This study delves into the economic facet of food security, focusing on the pivotal role of food prices as significant barriers to accessing a wholesome and sustainable diet. The challenges posed by economic recessions exacerbate these barriers, amplifying the struggle of vulnerable consumers to afford food. Leveraging web-scraped data, this paper introduces a pioneering exploration of economic food access in Italy. Employing a Time-interaction-Region Dummy Model within the framework of a stochastic price index approach, the analysis of least-cost food products (LCFP) sheds light on the affordability of food products, providing valuable insights into the intricate economic dynamics of food access in Italy.

Keywords: food security, food affordability, price indices, web-scraped data

JEL Classification: E31, D60, D40